Q:
thebattalionasks
What do you think about the Netflix 60 percent price increase ?
“I feel like the price increase was inevitable, but it’s still disappointing.”
“I think that they’re going to lose business.” Amanda Cernovich, junior community health major
Emily Hull, junior accounting major
news for you texas Perry debate continues
“60 percent increase? What do broke college students have to do to rent a movie?”
“I think it sucks but with how much everyone uses it, it was bound to happen.”
Reubin Sabu, sophomore mechanical engineer major
Josh Barton, junior civil engineering major
thebattalion ● monday,
july 18, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
AUSTIN — Should Rick Perry conclude that voter discontent has left him an opening to enter the presidential race, the longtime Texas governor would be among the GOP field’s most conservative candidates. Primary voters would get a skilled politician with TV anchorman looks, a Southern preacher’s oratory and a cowboy’s swagger, matched by a disarming candor and sense of humor.
lowest gas price
$3.45 2412 Texas Avenue and Southwest Parkway www.texasgasprices.com
nation &world Japan shocks USA FRANKFURT, Germany — Japan won the Women’s World Cup, stunning the United States 3-1 in a penalty shootout Sunday night after coming from behind twice in a 2-2 tie. Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath all missed penalties for the Americans, who squandered dozens of chances throughout the game and blew a lead just six minutes from winning their third World Cup title.
Man dies in police escape DAYTON, Ohio — Authorities in western Ohio say a burglary suspect traveling in a police cruiser used his head to break a window and escape on a bridge, then jumped to his death. Dayton police Lt. Kim Hill tells the Dayton Daily News that the officer transporting the suspect Saturday night pulled over after the man began banging his head on a rear window. Hill says the suspect went head-first out the window and dove over the side of the bridge. Associated Press
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Photos by David Godinez— THE BATTALION
Members of the quidditch team play a match as chasers hunt down the quaffle for a chance to score a goal.
Riding on brooms A&M quidditch team proves it’s not just a wizard’s game Learn to play
O’Dell Harmon Jr.
◗ To learn how to join the team or to particpate in games visit http:// quidditch.tamu. edu/ or subscribe to the team’s YouTube channel http://www. youtube.com/user/ tamuquidditch
HERE IS A WORLD where seekers, chasers and beaters all work together in order to win. It’s the game of quidditch, and it’s not just for wizards anymore.
The Battalion
T
Quidditch is the sport of the wizard world where teams on broomsticks fly around and battle each other in the pursuit of catching the elusive golden snitch, a small winged ball. It is a game that involves a trip to a fantasy world, if you ever have any hope of playing, but with the help of a few brave muggles, the game has been redefined so even those who were born without the natural gift of magic can now enjoy it across the country including at A&M. “I have been a member of the quidditch team for two and a half years so far,” said Eric Willroth, a senior economics major. “I went to the MSC open house and there were people flying around on brooms everywhere and it looked very awesome so I went to check it out.”
A chaser scores a goal past the keeper.
The A&M quidditch team had its start in 2008. It began when two A&M students first heard of muggle quidditch by watching YouTube videos of the Middlebury quidditch team. They decided that they would start a team at A&M in honor of Harry Potter. The pair researched and found facebook groups related to A&M quidditch and received a replay from two other students who also wanted to create an Aggie quidditch team. After passing out fliers and recruiting some people they had their first practice that October. Since then, the team has made visits to the Quidditch World Cup in New York City and placed seventh out 22 teams in 2009. Even during the summer the team is hard at work at Anderson Park preparing
for future games and just to have fun. Quiddttch is a growing activity at A&M and attracts transfer as well as firstyear students. “I just came to A&M last year so this will be my second year,” said Luke Wigley, a sophomore kinesiology major. “I saw the A&M tournament back in high school and I really enjoyed that.” Students who have a fascination with the world of Harry Potter are encouraged to come out and play a match with the team and experience the magic. “A friend of mine said he was on the quidditch team and I always loved Harry Potter so I was determined to be on it,” said Nichole Galle, a senior kinesiology See Quidditch on page 2
campus
Students captivated by wizardry world Natalee Blanchat
Osa Okundaye — THE BATTALION
Whether it be football, basketball, baseball or any sport out there, the longstanding rivalry between Texas A&M and The University of Texas never fails to cause a stir amongst fans. In the modern age of Facebook and Twitter, the competition extends beyond the playing field and onto the Internet. Aggies can show their pride on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/tamu where U.T. holds a 310,157 -282,114 lead in “likes.” U.T.’s The Daily Texan newspaper currently edges The Battalion in number of “likes” on Facebook 2,743 to 2,336. To tip the scales in favor of A&M, visit the official Battalion Facebook page and click “like.” Readers can also follow @ thebattonline to receive the latest news and updates via Twitter.
The Battalion Harry Potter mania is in full swing as the last installment of the epic finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two, broke the record this weekend, outselling the previous box office leader, The Dark Knight, with more than 10 million tickets sold. The newest addition to eight-part film series took in a sweeping $168.6 million in the North American box office, stealing the No. 1 spot as the biggest opening movie in history from the 2008 superhero film The Dark Knight that sold $158.4 million tickets nationwide. The series was launched more than a decade ago, starting with Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001 as a reenactment of J.K. Rowlings seven-part book series. Sonny Nguyen, a senior electrical engineering major, saw the final installment Saturday and said that he was proud to be play a part in breaking box office ticket sales for a movie series he has been following since he was 12. “It was awesome to say that I was there on box office weekend and was able to help the movie achieve such an amazing accomplishment,” Nguyen said. “Many people my age grew up with that movie, and to see it through to the end was something that was very memorable to experience.” Nguyen said it makes sense that these two movies reached See Potter on page 3
7/17/11 9:23 PM